Of all the celebrities they'd hope to see at the Derby, Ms. York-Day said she'd most like if Denzel Washington visited.

WSJ: L.A. Story: Paintings, Ponies, Prizes

Tom O'Neil, entertainment reporter for the Los Angeles Times' TheEnvelope.com and founder of GoldDerby.com, a Web site dedicated to predicting and analyzing award show wins, said the Academy finally began making an effort to recognize black actors after Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won Oscars in 2002.

CNN: Black actors still face Oscar challenges